As usual, the winter open house at Matteson Marine on Gun Lake in Michigan was well attended with great seminars including one I enjoyed very much by national bass pro George Cochran. Read more and see some pictures on the forum.

Here's an exciting deal special to members and visitors of GreatLakesBass.com – Shurhold.com's new, must-have tool for any boat, car or truck owner! The 2009 NMMA Innovations Award Winner Dual Action Polisher created by the boat care experts at Shurhold Industries.

Many sales and special events going on at D & R Sports Center for the holiday season. Located at 8178 West Main Street on M-43 just West of Kalamazoo Michigan, here is a list of hours and events. Look for their full page sale flyer in the Thanksgiving Day issue of the Kalamazoo Gazette.

They will have great deals on handguns, hunting and fishing items, optics, clothing, boots and much more. Get great gift ideas at a great price! For more information visit their web site at www.DandRSports.com or call 269-372-2277. Today for Black Friday they are open until 8 PM. Tomorrow D & R Sports is open 9 AM until 5 PM.

GreatLakesBass.com is very happy to announce Lee's Global Tackle has signed on as a site sponsor advertiser. Please check them out for the hot overseas tackle everyone is raving about. For a limited time, use code GLB and get a discount on your order over $40!

I hate to say it, but with Labor Day weekend now here, the great fall fishing will be starting right around the corner. That has to be the silver lining for us Northern anglers who can't fish all year easily from the boat. The fall fishing season is a good time to stock up on more fishing gear for those huge bass that make themselves more accessible to our favorite techniques.

Here's a link that will save you some money on fall fishing gear at Basspro.com:

You may also want to check out the Labor Day Sale for special huge savings (the link will only work on Labor Day):

Enjoy the great fall fishing and make sure to think if GreatLakesBass.com for your stories and pictures about those fall toads!!

Stocking up on cleaning solutions for the boating season doesn't have to involve an overwhelming amount of items. With many different types of surfaces to preserve, multi-purpose products are a must for any boat owner. They save time, money and space. Shurhold's 7 core compounds replace over 20 items from competitors. With half as many products, boat maintenance has never been easier.

Shurhold's Serious Marine Cleaner is designed to clean a multitude of surfaces. Created for the professional boat detailer, it eliminates the need to carry around numerous products to each job. This concentrate is safe and effective on fiberglass, vinyl, carpet, rubber, teak and acrylic canvas. It easily cleans bilges, black streaks, non-skid surfaces and more.